Author: Mark Zapata

Journalist - Mark Zapata

Mark Zapata is a drummer, author and educator. He has spent the last decade and a half in the east coast metal scene playing drums for Killjoy, Tsul 'Kalu and many others. Mark has shared the stage with such metal icons as Suffocation, Fear Factory, Anvil, Otep and many, many others. Mark brings his unique perspective and onstage experience to Cryptic Rock. He's been on those stages and he's been in those studios. He has and continues to live the life. Mark is currently teaching all styles of drumming to all ages at www.Facebook.com/MZDrums

Begun over three decades ago, Poland's Vader has become fierce leaders in the world of Death Metal. Founded by Vocalist and Guitarist Piotr "Peter" Wiwczarek, Vader relentlessly toured, quickly gaining a reputation for their live performances, as they pumped out impressive albums such as 1995's De...

Months following the release of their universally acclaimed album, Magma, France's Gojira set their sights on a fall North America tour not to be missed. Known for their often technical, textured, and atmospheric sound, Gojira has been demolishing audiences around the globe since their 2001 debut...

Sludge Masters Crowbar have been creating and defining their genre since their inception nearly three decades ago. Churning out their own unique brand of Doom, Sludge, and Metal, Crowbar rose out of the New Orleans, Louisiana scene; a scene which also spawned the likes of...

American Punk Rock institution Bad Religion has built quite a legacy over the last three plus decades. Originating in Los Angeles, California, their politically charged brand of Punk has been offered consistently over the course of sixteen studio albums, including 2013's True North. Weathering the...

Hailing from the working class city of Buffalo, New York, Every Time I Die is a band impossible to pigeonhole as it combines Hardcore with Metal alongside strong Rock hooks. Known for writing aggressive, high-energy music with intriguing, often unusual lyrics, brothers Keith and Jordan...

When fans thinks of Progressive Metal, chances are Geoff Tate is one of the first to come to mind. An intricate part of the Progressive Rock/Metal landscape for over three decades now, Tate rose to the top with Queensrÿche in the '80s, and, to this day,...

Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, Technical Death Metal band Revocation has been in the game for over sixteen years now. Operating under the name Revocation since 2006, following the independent release of their debut Empire of the Obscene in 2008, the band was signed on to Relapse Records....

The New York Metal scene has remained strong throughout the years despite claims of its demise. That being said, New York continues to play host to to a multitude of Heavy Metal shows, both big and small. While Manhattan boasts a good number of mid-sized...

With so much transpiring in the first two days of Chicago Open Air, on day three violent storms rolled through Bridgeview, Illinois in the early morning hours. Lightning, thunder, and heavy rain drenched the town as festival goers prepared for the worst. Add to that...

Following an explosive opening day, Saturday, July 16th, marked day two of the Chicago Open Air Festival. Making its home at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois, day one saw an epic conclusion with Rammstein closing out the main stage, and day two promised to be...

Get ready to walk into the fire and get brilliantly burned with Asking Alexandria’s self-titled, fifth studio release, which arrives Friday, December 15 thanks to Sumerian Records. Reunited with Vocalist Danny Worsnop, these Brits are poised to reclaim their throne...

Never has a student had it so hot for teacher in all the worst, non-sexual ways possible! Step into one truly disturbing classroom environment with Dismissed, the latest release from The Orchard, which arrives to EST/VOD on Tuesday, November 21, 2017. ...

John Corabi, former Mötley Crüe vocalist and current frontman of The Dead Daisies, is giving fans an exciting Valentine's Day gift with his first solo, live recording, Live 94 (One Night In Nashville), which arrives this Friday, February 16th, thanks to...

Set for release Friday, January 26th through Vertical Entertainment, The Neighbor is certainly a film that will stand out among the rest of the Drama/Thrillers set to hit theaters and Video on Demand in early 2018. Winner of several awards...

Perhaps Progressive Metal's best kept secret, San Paulo, Brazil's own Angra, are set to return with their ninth studio album, Omni. Arriving on Friday February 16, 2018 via EarMusic, with eleven new tracks, Omni acts as the follow-up to Angra's 2015 release Secret Garden....

For many couples, the desire to have a family of their own is strong, and they are able to embark on the journey of building such. However, it is not always easy for all couples to fulfill this dream naturally....

Those who dig instantly gratifying, guitar-laden Rock (and, honestly, who doesn’t?), look no further than Black Label Society’s latest effort, Grimmest Hits. To avoid any confusion, this is not a best of collection as the album title may imply. No, instead...

The old adage "they don't make things like they used to" only applies to about seventy-five percent of modern Heavy Metal. Although, it is far from true in the case of Machine Head. Fronted by none other than Guitarist/Vocalist Robb...

Don’t call it a comeback, they’ve been here for years! Seventeen years strong, Story Of The Year return on Friday, December 8, 2017, with Wolves, their self-released, well, can we actually call it a comeback, please? Formed in St. Louis,...

When it comes to music, there is simply nothing better than a live performance. Vastly different than listening to a studio recording, a live concert experience allows one to connect with the artist and the music on a more intimate...